while

Meaning

Noun

1. An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.
2. An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.
3. (Philippines) An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.

Conj

1. During the same time that.
2. Although.
3. (Northern-England, Scotland) Until.
4. As long as.

Prep

Until.

Verb

1. (in-compounds, transitive) To pass (time) idly.
2. (transitive) To occupy or entertain (someone) in order to let time pass.
3. (archaic, intransitive) To elapse, to pass.

Verb

Alternative spelling or misspelling of wile.

Synonyms

when

during

as

time

⌚

whilst

whereas

moment

for

although

at the same time

period

though

meanwhile

until

instant

notwithstanding

but

even though

meantime

in spite of

hour

after

as soon as

at the time

even if

throughout

whiles

spell

despite

in

as long as

simultaneously

piece

on

🔛

and

because

under

at

till

in the meantime

still

a little while

if

since

then

however

season

patch

pending

second

2nd

Translations

während

mientras

mentre

tandis que

terwijl

pendant que

rato

durante

moment

pendant

Weile

dum

durée

alors que

ενώ

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ʍaɪl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: whyle

Inherited from Old English: hwīl

Cognate with Dutch: wijl

Cognate with Low German: Wiel

Cognate with German: Weile

Cognate with Danish: hvile

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål: hvile

Cognate with Albanian: sillë

Cognate with Latin: tranquillus

Cognate with Sanskrit: चिर

Cognate with Persian: شاد

In summary

From Middle English whyle, from Old English hwīl, from Proto-West Germanic *hwīlu, from Proto-Germanic *hwīlō (compare Dutch wijl, Low German Wiel, German Weile, Danish hvile (“rest”), Norwegian Bokmål hvile (“rest”)), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest”). Cognate with Albanian sillë (“breakfast”), Latin tranquillus, Sanskrit चिर (cirá), Persian شاد (šâd).

Sentences

Some went away while I was there , and other people came .

Mary told me that she got to meet up with you while she was back in San Francisco .

They went on smoking the pipe for a while as the sun began to set .

While growing up , she heard folk-country, classical , and pop music at home .

While Little Caesars owns the Pizza !

While tremendously popular in his day , his plays are rarely revived .